UH begins USTA/ITA Texas Regional Championships Play

Published 12:45 pm, Thursday, October 16, 2014

Thursday marked Day 1 of the USTA/ITA Texas Regional Championship for the University of Houston women’s tennis team.

The Cougars faced a full slate of action across both doubles and singles competition, as they took on some of the best Division I talent the state of Texas has to offer.

The Greek combination of Despoina Vogasari and Elena Kordolaimi began the Cougar’s doubles play with a 1st round victory over the Sam Houston State duo of Fabienne Gettwart and Bailey Van Dyke by a score of 8-4.

Rocio Martin was scheduled to compete with Maria Cardenas as the 2nd Houston doubles pair, but was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury.

On the singles side of the draw, Vogasari and Kordolaimi both turned their early success in doubles play into a pair of wins for the Cougars. Both players earned a bye into the round of 64, with the 7 seed Vogasari playing Brittany Reed of Abilene Christian University and winning 6-0, 6-4.

Holding the 14 seed, Kordolaimi faced off with Ekaterina Tugarinova of UT-Arlington and defeated her in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0.

Maria Cardenas took on Texas A&M’s Rutuja Bhosale, and while putting forth a valiant effort, was unable to replicate the success of her teammates as she fell by a score of 6-2, 6-0.

Vogasari & Kordolaimi will play in the round of 32 for both singles and doubles tomorrow, while Maria Cardenas will compete in the consolation bracket after earning a bye into the round of 32.